


Welcome Home

by mrs_captain_rogers



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: A little angst, F/M, Finding Love, Found Family, Home away from Home, IPRE, M/M, Multi, Seven Birds - Freeform, So many ships, TAZ Balance, The Creations Light Hotel, blupjeans, hotel au, lots of fluff, the burnsides
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25970419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_captain_rogers/pseuds/mrs_captain_rogers
Summary: Lup and co run the many departments of the Creation's Light Hotel. Their little family is happy and enjoys welcoming visitors from all over but that happiness is threaten when a real estate tycoon and his business partner try to weasel away control of the hotel to demolish it to make room for their casino/hotel.ORThe author works in a hotel and is projecting on her favorite characters...
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans & Lup, Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Julia Burnsides & Magnus Burnsides, Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, Kravitz & Taako (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 38





	1. Check In

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how long this will end up being but I have lots of fun moments and even funner cameos from all across the TAZ universe. Can't wait to share this story with you.

Warm morning light glittered down through the massive stained glass windows that ringed the lobby of the Creation’s Light Hotel. The thing Lup loved the most about her job was getting to watch the sunrise every morning and see those first tendrils of light filter through the glass, casting the whole lobby in a wash of dancing color. Working over night might have been hard, not to mention boring most of the time, but getting to see the breathtaking effect the windows had on the hotel more than made up for it. Her long slender fingers slid along the glass of the massive jellyfish tank that flanked one side of the main door out of the lobby. 

“Behave today Fisher,” Lup said warmly to the largest of the creatures inside. The Voidfish hummed happily and pressed a tendril against the glass where her hand rested. “See you tonight buddy.” The creature hummed again, accompanying the sound with a twirl that sent many of the other small jellies spinning to and fro. Lup chuckled softly and headed for the back office to collect her things. 

“Morning,” Magnus greeted as she entered the staff room. The elf just lifted a hand in greeting and wandered toward her locker. “Quiet night?” 

“It was until I started looking at tomorrow’s arrivals,” she replied as he tugged her unruly blonde hair into a messy ponytail. “The damn Wonderland Twins are coming back. They’ll be here for a fucking month this time.” Magnus coughed on his coffee at her words. 

“You’re kidding right?” 

“If only! They’re assigned to their usual suite with a note on the reservation not to move it, on punishment of death. I left you a list of things to check over in there before they arrive tomorrow. Not that it matters, they’ll still find something to bitch and moan about no matter how thorough we are in there. I’ve even got Taako making his elderflower macarons to put in the suite.” The human man sighed and shook his head.

“There’s just no pleasing some people.” Lup simply nodded in agreement, the tail of her updo swishing against her shaved undercut. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me I have a date with my bed.” The maintenance man chuckled as she slipped out of the room and toward the staff exit. She and her brother shared an apartment a few blocks from the hotel and the morning air was refreshing on her face. The sounds of the awakening city filled the silence around her, accompanied by the wafting amoma of brewing coffee and baking bread. 

Taako was still snoring softly as Lup entered the apartment, toeing off her flats and dropping her bag on the small foyer table. In the small kitchen a note and a round container caught her attention. 

Tried out a new recipe last night, let me know what you think, Blackberry and Hibiscus. T. 

Inside the container sat a handful of perfectly made, purple macarons. The young woman took a bit of one and smiled warmly. “Hot diggity shit, that’s a baller cookie,” she said aloud as she wrote the reply on the same scrap of paper. “Good job.” After a quick snack and an equally quick shower Lup finally dropped onto her small bed and snuggled close into the pile of old quilts. It took no time for sleep to come. 

That afternoon found the hotel’s lobby bustling with both guests and staff alike. Merle was hard at work pruning and planting in the sun filled glass atrium, just off the main lobby. Avi and Angus worked in perfect tandem checking in new guests and assisting those who were already staying. The elder of the two warmly greeted Lucretia, a former employee and accomplished author, as she approached the desk. 

“Avi, it’s so good to see you again. How have you been?” 

“Doing well, staying busy but I’m good. How’s your latest novel coming?” Her cheeks darkened and she smiled shyly. 

“It’s been a slow progression with this one. I thought maybe being in my favorite place would give me some inspiration as it always seems to do.” Avi smiled and proceeded with her check in process. As they were finishing up the door leading behind the desk opened to reveal Davenport. 

“Miss Lucretia, welcome back. Hope you had an easy trip in.” He joined his agents at the desk and they fell into familiar conversation. 

In the eastern wing of the opulent building sat the Raven’s Roost restaurant and bar. Taako worked quickly to clear a recently empty table. Behind the bar Kravitz was preparing for dinner service. The human hummed quietly to himself as he cleaned glasses and bottles. Taako kept stealing glances at the barkeep as he flitted around the dining room. 

“Taako!” The elf quickly scurried toward the echoing sound of his name, a tray of dirty dishes in hand. Sazed was waiting, a scowl spread across his face, as soon as he ducked through the swinging door. The tray nearly dropped out Taako’s hands. “What have I told you about putting your own recipes on the specials menu? This is my kitchen, I decide what goes on that menu.” Taako’s blond braid swung with his flinch at the hard words. 

“Yes chef,” he said softly and hurried past to drop off the dishes. The burley bugbear in the dish pit grumbled as Taako unloaded the tray. 

“Don’t let that prick boss you around like that,” he said, taking the dirty dishes from the elf. “I’ve had your food and you are a million times better chef than he could dream of being.” The elf looked across the pit window and smiled weakly. 

“Thanks Klarg.” Without another word he hurried off to roll silverware. The bugbear sighed as he watched his friend disappear around the corner. 

Evening fell and the Raven’s Roost bustled with diners. Taako flit from table to table, delivering food, refilling drinks, and charming his customers with just a smile. Behind the bar Kravitz was a whirlwind of black as he made cocktails and filled wine glasses. Every spare moment he had found him searching out the elf practically dancing between tables. Magnus knelt behind the bar tinkering with the mini fridge. “You should ask him out already. We both know he’d say yes,” the handyman said from his position on the floor. “He’s completely into you.” Those same searching dark eyes dropped down on him. 

“Magnus, please just fix the fridge and stay out of my love life… or lack thereof.” Magnus just smirked at him and returned to his work. 

“Alright but I’m telling you, he would say yes in a heartbeat.” Kravitz rolled his eyes and turned his attention to a new order. It wasn’t much longer before a soft click and then the all too familiar hum of the mini fridge filled the space behind the bar. “There we go. Give it a few hours and it’ll be right as rain.” He stood with a stretch and a groan before spying a beautiful face across the dining room. Taako turned away from the table and headed toward them. As the elf loaded the next delivery of drinks Magnus patted his arm. “T. T… who is that?” 

“Huh?” Taako looked up from his tray before glancing in the direction Magnus was staring. “Oh some politician, a senator, governor, something. He stays here from time to time. He seems to really like Kravitz’s blood orange old fashion, this is like his third one tonight.” The maintenance man shook his head rapidly. 

“No! The girl, with him, who is she?” A cat-like grin crept across Taako’s face seeing the dopey smile taking over Magnus’. 

“Oh! That’s his assistant Julia.” Magnus leaned against the bar, head propped on his fist. 

“Julia,” he echoed with a smitten sigh. 

In the lobby Avi was finishing up his end of shift duties, making sure everything was ready for Lup, when a dark haired man in a denim jacket approached the desk, backpack slung over his shoulder and a suitcase by his side. “Um hi, I know I’m a little late but I’m here to check in.” Avi glanced up from his computer and pasted on a polite smile. 

“Oh no problem at all. What’s the last name it's booked under?”

“Bluejeans.” Avi bit the inside of his cheek remembering the amount of laughter that had come to him and Angus at the expense of this man’s name. 

“Barold?” With a bashful nod the man confirmed. 

“Uh please, Barry is just fine.” 

“Barry, got it, well Mr. Barry let’s get you checked in.” Avi asked him a few questions regarding contact information and additional guests traveling with him, the man was traveling alone. “Alright well looks like you’ll be with us for a few weeks, what brings you in?” 

“Research actually. It’s a long story.” Avi nodded and quickly fetched the key for him. “Well maybe you can tell me someday. Now you’ll go through this doorway through the aquarium arch, and the elevator will be on the left. You’ll be on the third floor, sixth door on the right. If you need anything we do have someone here all the time so-” he paused hearing the door to the staff room closing. “That sounds like her right now but if you need anything don’t hesitate to call us. Enjoy your stay and Barry, welcome home to the Creation’s Light Hotel.”


	2. Graveyard shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry explores his new home and finds a new friend with an unexpected beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after some thinking, I've decided to use this story as a challenge. I'm attempting to write and post a new chapter of this story each week, most likely on Monday. I can't promise I'll be able to do it but that's what I'm aiming for. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this so far and can't wait to share more.

Barry followed the instructions easily enough and soon found himself in an old fashioned iron cage lift. The young man operating the door had a wide unblinking gaze and an unsettling, false grin stuck on his face. “Floor sir?” he said in a comically cheerful tone.  
“Uh, third floor please.” With a sharp nod from the lift operator and a sudden jerk from the cage, they began to move. It wasn’t until he was off the lift and halfway down the hall that he realized what the young man reminded him of, a theme park mascot. He shook for a moment with the heebie-jeebies before glancing around for his room. Just as the clerk had said a shiny plaque with 306 hung upon the sixth door matching the round tag on his key. 

Barry gasped quietly as he entered his room. It was much bigger than he had originally expected. A small kitchenette including a full-size refrigerator sat to the right and the bedroom was visible through the open door ahead to the left. The living room space included a plush red sofa and a cream-colored armchair sat in the corner. 

Barry toed off his sneakers by the door before wandering further into the room. An open door led into the bedroom, the same scrolling cream-colored carpet as the front area leading the way. A king-size bed with crisp white linens sat in the center of the sidewall. A scarlet throw pillow embroidered with birds sat nestled among the lush pillows. Across the foot of the bed was a matching runner of scarlet, edged in gold. On the wall opposite the bed was a dark walnut stained dresser. He couldn’t help but whistle at the sheer sight of it all. It was nearly the size of a loveseat and despite the heavy look of it balanced perfectly with the bed. A matching dresser stood against another wall. The far wall contained a beautifully carved set of french doors which led out to a small balcony. He paused briefly to open a window allowing the cool afternoon breeze to ruffle the sheer curtains before continuing his exploration. 

The bathroom was a glittering wash of blue and gold tile, unlike anything Barry had ever seen. An opulent freestanding clawfoot tub stood under a window on the far side of the room. The large shower was laid with a sea glass blue fish scale tile and had a rainfall showerhead. Barry whistled to himself looking around the lavish room. On the vanity counter sat a small basket holding various toiletries. To say he was impressed with the hotel was a vast understatement he had no idea how he had managed to get such a fabulous rate for such a lavish hotel.

The late afternoon sun shone through the open window as Barry dropped onto the bed with a yawn. The plush bed felt like laying on a cloud as he relaxed into it. Through the open window, he could hear happy voices talking below in the gardens and the occasional shriek of children’s laughter. This place was unlike anything he’d ever seen or experienced but somewhere in the back of his mind, there was an odd familiarity to it that he couldn’t explain. Barry’s eyes drifted shut with a sigh, fully intending to get up and unpack or explore in a few minutes. When he opened his eyes again the room was dark and the smell of something cooking on a wood fire lingered on the air through the open window. 

The clock on the bedside table informed him that it was nearly 2:30 AM and he had been asleep for almost four hours. A normal person may have just rolled over and returned to sleep but Barry’s insomnia was inclined to insist otherwise. His stomach made a loud protest at not being fed yet as well. With a stretch, Barry removed himself from the lush bed then splashed his face with cold water in the sink. 

Given the choice between a few flights of stairs or having to face the creepy elevator operator again the bespectacled man quickly located the stairwell at the far end of the hall and took them down two at a time, managing to only trip once. The stairwell let out to the hall leading to the swimming pool where the joyful cried of kids could still be heard despite the late hour. He made a mental note to check out the pool before heading back upstairs. As he rounded the corner there was another open door leading into a ballroom. On the far side of the ornately tiled floor was a beautiful grand piano. He hadn’t played much in recent years but was always happy to have an opportunity. Like the pool, he filed the piano away with the intent to return later for a better look. His attention was drawn away from the instrument by two voices, one male, one female, drifting down the hall from the main lobby. Shimmering shadows danced across the hallway floor from the fish tank that flanked the main lobby door. Barry hid in the shadows watching the blonde woman behind the desk argue with the dark-haired man standing. 

“Lup you and your people will give this place up. There is no getting out of it. I've seen the financials for this dump and it’ll never survive. This stupid place will be nothing but dirt and foundation within a year.” Tendrils of smoke wafted up from the woman’s hands. 

“Look here Greg Grimaldis I’ve already called security and if you haven’t gotten your sorry ass out of my lobby in the next two minutes all they will find when they get here is a pile of fucking ashes. Now get out!” The smoke grew into sparks and licks of flames around her fingers. 

“You want me gone? Fine, I’m gone but so help me Lup Taaco when this property is mine and my casino is built I guarantee you this place will be nothing but a trash yard.” A fully formed fireball sat in her upheld palm. 

“30 fucking seconds Greg…” Lup’s expression was flat and stone-faced, with no anger, no hatred, just done. The blue-eyed man turned and left the lobby without so much as another word. The fireball was extinguished in Lup’s closing fist and was quickly replaced by an outstretched middle finger. “That’s what I thought, you asshole.” Barry moved a little closer to the doorway to get a better look at the woman behind the desk. She was tall and toned, her blonde hair hung in loose waves down to her shoulders, peeks of an undercut showed through as she moved. He hadn’t even met the woman yet but Barry knew he had never seen someone more beautiful. Her head snapped around at a loud clattering by the fish tank. Barry stood there sheepishly trying to gather up the pamphlet stand he’d knocked over. “How much of that did you see?” Her voice was demanding, no sense of customer service voice anywhere. 

“Just the last part?” he replied hesitantly, unsure how long the conversation had actually been going on for. “Look I’m not going to say anything, he seemed like a real jerk.” 

“He is. What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?” 

“I couldn’t sleep and was trying to find a vending machine.” She eyed him for a long moment before his stomach growled loudly. 

“Don’t move.” Without another word, she disappeared through the open door into the back. Barry stood rooted to the spot half convinced he’d do anything this woman told him. She reappeared a moment later with a pizza box and plates in hand. “They brought me the wrong size so I guess I can share.” A playful smile tugged at her lips. “I’m Lup.” She opened the box and set it on the counter between them. Inside was a still steaming large pizza with mushrooms, onions, peppers, and sausage. She grabbed a slice and began to devour it.

 _Oh yeah I’m definitely in love._ Barry smiled and took a piece for himself. “Well, Miss Lup it is nice to meet you. I’m Barry.” The elf wiped a bit of grease from her cheek with the back of her hand. 

“Wait, Bluejeans? In 306?” He nodded, raising an eyebrow. “You are definitely not what I expected with a name like that.” She paused for another bite. “Ok yeah that was a little rude but still, I don’t know what I expected with a name like that.” 

“It’s an old family name, it used to be Hallwinter and then just out of the blue, no pun intended, some ancestor changed it,” he explained with a shrug. “Anyway, it's stuck since then. My cousin even made her new husband take her name after they got married because she wanted to keep the family name.” Lup snickered around another bite of pizza. 

“Well, Barry Bluejeans it's nice to meet you. Now, what brings you to my lobby in the middle of the night?” The pair fell into easy conversation as if they’d known each other for years and the sun was just beginning to rise when Barry yawned loudly. 

“I should probably head upstairs and attempt to sleep some.” The elf reached out and touched his hand.

“Wait just a few more minutes. I never get to show this to anybody.” Barry yawned again but gave her a sleepy smile and nod. 

Together they watched as the early morning light filtered in through the bank of stained glass windows flooding the lobby with glittering colorful swirls of light. Barry gasped softly at the sight, reminded of stars. “Lup, it’s beautiful.” 

“It’s my favorite thing about working this shift. I get to see this every morning.” 

“Can I join you tomorrow morning to see it again?” Lup shook her head.  


“I’m off tonight and tomorrow but I’ll be back after that. I would like it if you joined me to see it again though.” In the back, they heard someone coming through the door and a call of greeting. “That’s my relief but I’ll see you in a few days Mr. Bluejeans.” Barry nodded and excused himself heading back to his room. Once changed out of his clothes and settled in his bed Barry sighed contentedly. 

_What a babe._


	3. Are you alright?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus meets a pretty lady and Kravitz has a little chat with the chef.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been so utterly touched by how much feedback I've been getting on this story. I haven't been this excited about a project like this in a long time and I am sooo glad y'all are enjoying it so much. The IPRE crew and TAZ in general means so much to me and getting to bring this little pocket of that world to life has been amazing. Thanks again and I can't wait to share more with you. 
> 
> This one does get a little intense in the second half and does somewhat imply character abuse and threats. If this is a trigger for you please do what is best for you.

Water dribbled off the brim of Magnus’s hat as he worked away at the plumbing before him. He’d already spent the last half hour trying to find the source of the leak but the fish tank continued to gush from the base. With the help of a few others they had managed to get the small fish out of the tank and into buckets temporarily but Fisher was too large to put anywhere but the pool. Towels and wet floor signs littered the lobby floor. Magnus sighed wearily and shouted over his shoulder. “Jess, cut the water. There’s no way I can fix it if it keeps hemorrhaging like this. The security officer stuck her head through the archway. 

“You sure? What about Fisher? He needs the tank filtering right?” Magnus looked back at her, water dripping from the tip of his nose. 

“We’re all idiots… Fisher is a void fish, not a jellyfish.” She just stared at him lost. “Meaning, he doesn’t have to be in a tank of water. The turd is perfectly fine outside of his tank. The trill that came from Fisher could only be described as laughter. Once the water was cut off it didn’t take Magnus long to find the source of the leak, a cracked pipe joint, and repair it. He was mopping up when the sound of heels on the marble floor echoed through the empty lobby. The maintenance man turned to warn of the wet floor only to see the beautiful woman from the Raven’s Roost lose her balance, fall, and slide across the slick tile, coming to a stop at his feet. Her armful of papers had gone sky high and were landing all over the lobby. “Are you alright? Should I call Jess in Security, do you want to file a report?” Magnust asked crouching to help her.

Her expression was dazed as she glanced around trying to regain her bearings. “What happened?” Doe eyes the color of coffee with a splash of cream gazed up at Magnus framed by wild tossed auburn curls. “Oh shit, my papers!” A snorting laugh escaped him as Magnus helped the woman to her feet. 

“Sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I mean I am but not at your fall. I just wasn’t expecting that,” he said through another round of chuckles. “I just wasn’t expecting that from such a…” 

“...Such a what?” A sharp eyebrow rose as she stared him down nearly eye to eye. 

“Such a pretty lady,” Magnus replied sheepishly, red slowly creeping up his neck into his cheeks. “Let me help you with your papers. Are you alright?” he repeated, handing over the single sheet he’d manage to catch. “ 

“Yes, I’m a little damp but no worse for wear.” The pair set about gathering the flock of escaped papers and soon she had all of them reclaimed. 

“If any of them are ruined we have a business center for guests down the hall where you can reprint them, if they’re that kind of documents.”

“Well…” she paused searching his chest for a name tag, “Magnus, perhaps if you’re not busy you could show me where it is.” The burly man nodded quickly.   
“Oh yes of course, let me set out a few more wet floor signs, safety first and all that, one second.” She giggled as he hurried about the lobby setting out a handful of brightly colored caution signs. “Ok all done. Right this way, Ms…” 

“Waxman but my friends call me Julia, and we’re friends now aren’t we?” The red in his face shot up the rest of the way into his ears. 

“Yes ma’am, most definitely.” Behind the front desk Angus and Avi snickered quietly at Magnus’s floundering. “Right this way,” he said again and gestured to the hall entry. As the two disappeared out of earshot the pair behind the desk burst into riotous laughter. 

“She’s got him whipped already,” Avi squeaked through his laughter. Angus could only nod in agreement. Once he was able to breath again, Avi excused himself to pop down to the small hotel shop for a drink. As he approached the entrance the sounds of shouting spilled out into the hall. 

“Garfield you dunderhead, those do not go there. Now will you please get? Your shift is over.” Avi spotted a very disgruntled gnome behind the register and a snickering cloaked, masked figure by the product racks. 

“But Leon, putting the snack chips here names it so much easier to make deals and bundles for our guests.” The gnome signed loudly, raking his fingers through his long beard. 

“Garfield I have told you time and time again… we don’t bargain here. We don’t bargain, we don’t haggle, and we don’t make deals. We put a price on the object, the guest pays it, the guest takes their object, period.” 

The masked figure turned toward the register. “Oh but deals are so much fun to make, Leon. Avi, tell him I’m right.” The dark haired man jumped at the sound of his name and quickly spun around. 

“Oh no! You two are not getting me involved in your little squabbles. Just let me get my drink and I’ll be out of here.” He handed Leon the bottle of dark soda followed by the payment. “Now if you two will excuse me, I have actual work to do and Garfield, please stop torturing Leon, hasn’t he been through enough?”

On his way back to the lobby Avi passed Taako pushing a room service cart back toward Raven’s Roost. His blonde braid swished behind him as he hurried along, nearly clipping the deskman with the cart. The elf parked it in the back of the dining room near the kitchen door before slipping inside. “Just drop off the stuff for the Wonderland twins?” Ren, a drow woman with a high ponytail, said from the other side of the servers’ station. Taako nodded quickly and tugged his apron on. 

“Did Sazed notice I was gone?” She quickly shook her head, hair swishing. 

“Nope, Klarg kept him busy with something about a leaking ice maker. He did not sound happy about that but you’re in the clear. So have you convinced him to let you make the Quiche Lorraine for Sunday brunch yet?” A hard scowl tugged at Taako’s mouth. 

“No, asshole won’t even let me put a damn desert on the daily specials, let alone his precious Sunday brunch.”

“T, you really should talk to him, you’re a much better chef than he is.” The elf shoosed her, quickly glancing around. 

“Don’t say that, just don’t… Ren please.” He gripped his fingers tightly to steady the slight shaking. “Please just drop it. It’s never going to happen, that’s why I’ve been sucking up to Lydia and Edward so much. I’m hoping they’ll hire me as their private chef.” Taako took a deep shaky breath before disappearing deeper into the kitchen in search of work that needed doing. Ren fiddled with her ring as she pondered on what to do next. From the direction of Sazed’s office his voice rang out shouting for Taako. Fifteen minutes later the blond man hurried out of the kitchen, tears on his cheeks. Kravitz stood behind the bar polishing glasses as he rushed passed. He shared a brief look of concern with Ren before waving her over. 

“Keep an eye on the bar for me, I’ll be right back,” he said quietly before slipping into the kitchen. Sazed looked up from his computer as the bartender entered pulling the door shut behind him. 

“What?” 

“What did you say to Taako?”

“That’s none of your business, now get back to the bar.” 

“No! What did you say to him? This is the third time in as many weeks I’ve seen him come rushing out of here in tears. Now what the hell did you say to him?” Sazed got to his feet and had to look up at Kravitz in his attempt to stare him down. 

“None of your damn business, now get your fancy ass back behind the bar or I’m going to write you up.” Kravitz cracked his neck and stared down at the shorter man, his already dark eyes going red.

“You know I can take this to HR right?” Sazed scoffed and shook his head. 

“It’s your word against mine.” 

“Not quite,” the reaper said, smirking. “It’s your word against mine, Taako’s, and months worth of video evidence.” A scowl tore across the chef’s face. 

“You have no right to that footage. I can have you fired for trying to access hotel security footage.” Kravitz cracked his knuckles loudly, his features fading, turning skeletal and bone white with blazing red eyes.

“You want to know a secret Sazed? You can threaten me, you can threaten my job all you want but when it all boils down, it’s an empty threat and here’s why. _I don’t need this job!_ I always have work waiting for me with my mother. I have this job because I enjoy being a bartender. I enjoy my regulars and newcomers alike. I enjoy the majority of the people I work with. Like I said there’s always work waiting for me with my mother and you want to know a little something? I’m not only her favorite son, don’t tell the dagger happy one, but I’m her favorite reaper and there is a damn good reason for that. Now you listen and you listen well. You’re going to stop torturing Taako and you’re going to stop stealing recipes from him. Most importantly though, you are going to stop trying to get into his pants. Taako has told you no multiple times, he has told you what happened before was a mistake and I’m pretty sure he’s told you to just flat out fuck off. Do you understand me? If I find out that you have been treating him badly anymore you’ll not only have HR to contend with but quite probably the end of a scythe as well.” The chef could do nothing more than tremble and nod. “Good, I’m glad we understand each other.” 

The bathroom door squeaked quietly, admitting the bartender. Soft sniffles drifted from under the closed stall door. “Ren you shouldn’t be in here,” Taako chided, his voice quavering. “You should go before you get in trouble.” 

“Taako, it’s me. Can I come in?” Kravitz replied gently. 

“What if I’m taking a piss?” He rolled his eyes and tried the door, discovering it was unlatched. 

“All the more reason for me to come in,” he replied as he crouched down in front of the elf. “I just finished talking to Sazed. He isn’t going to be bothering you anymore. I’ve made sure of that.” Taako sniffed and rubbed his face with his sleeve. 

“What did you say to him?” The dark eyed man pulled a red handkerchief from his vest pocket offering it to him. Taako accepted it and his nose trumpeted as he blew it. 

“It doesn’t matter, just rest assured he won’t be bothering you anymore.” A hesitant smile pulled at the elf’s lips. 

“Thanks Krav, you’re pretty…” 

“I’m pretty huh?” he asked, a proper smile spreading across his face. Taako chuckled before sneezing into the handkerchief. 

“Well yes but you’re pretty awesome.” Kravitz got to his feet and offered a hand to help Taako up. “Will you really not tell me what you said to him?” Dark dreads swished softly as he shook his head. 

“Nope, that’s my secret. Are you alright now?” Taako nodded and wiped his nose again. “Good.” Kravitz froze as the shorter man hugged him tightly around the middle. 

“Thank you so much. I don’t know what you said to him but thank you.” His voice quavered as he looked up at Kravitz. He wrapped Taako up in a tight embrace, not letting go until the elf pulled away and leaned up on tiptoe to place a kiss on Kravitz’s cheek.


	4. Room Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Lup spend another night together in the Creation's Light lobby but when Lup is too exhausted to get home Barry goes out of his way to help her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! So I was unable to update last week due to being out of town. To make up for it I wrote an extra long chapter for this week and all I can say is... prepare for the sugary sweet fluff!!!

A heavy scowl covered Lup’s face as Barry entered the lobby. It had been over a week since their first meeting but he spent nearly every evening he could in the lobby with her. The scientist hadn’t stopped thinking about the blonde elf since that first night. The furrows on her brow deepened as she continued listening, fingers drumming agitatedly on the desk. 

“Sir, may I speak please?” She paused then continued. “As I said I am currently the only one here, I can connect you to the provider who should be able to pinpoint the problem’s source but the call has to come from the room in question. No, I do not have access to the main router for the hotel. Sir, if not that then I can have maintenance address it in the morning when they get here.” Barry watched her, slender fingers clenching into fists before unballing, knuckles popping each time. “No sir we do not have 24 hour maintenance. Yes for emergency situations, no this does not qualify as an emergency situation. I can have maintenance address the outage in the morning and I’ll have a manager call you as well… Sir there is no need for language like that. I-” The scowl twisted up into a complete sneer before she huffed loudly and hung up the phone. “I hate my fucking job and I fucking hate the full moon!” 

“I brought you something,” Barry chimed as he came closer to the desk. The same red that dyed the tips of her hair crept into Lup’s checks. 

“Barry, once again how much of that did you hear?” He chuckled and leaned against the desk.  
“Just about all of it but at least you didn’t threaten to incinerate this guy. What was his problem anyway?” 

“His WIFI is out in his room.” An eyebrow shot up above the rim of Barry’s glasses. “Yeah, was trying to threaten to have me fired, f-bomb this, f-bomb that, you’ve never heard such language.”

“Lup, I’ve only known you for like two days and you swear more than a drunken sailor. So what made him hang up, I can only assume he just hung up on you.”

“His old lady told him to get the fuck off the phone. Now back to the matter at hand… what’d you bring me?” He laughed again at her grabby hands and reached into his bag before depositing a small pink box on the counter. “Barry, what is this?” 

“A treat? Just open it.” Lup took the box and carefully opened the lid beaming with delight as she spied the mound of frosting peeking up at her. 

“Are these violin sprinkles?” she wondered carefully pulling the cupcake out. Barry nodded, looking proud as a peacock. 

“Yeah, there’s a music school or something a few blocks from here and when I was out walking earlier I saw they were having a bake sale. You were wearing a violin necklace the other night. Do you play?” The red quickly returned to Lup’s cheeks. 

“I do, well I did. I haven’t had an opportunity to play much in the last few years. I almost went to school for it actually.” 

“What stopped you?”

“That is a story for another time Mr. Bluejeans,” she said, turning her attention once again to the cupcake. “Now let me see if I have a knife to cut this thing. Oh look right here,” she said whipping out a pocket knife. The handle was covered in painted flames that practically danced across its surface. Barry stared at the handle as she deftly flicked it open and split the confection in two. 

“They let you keep that thing on you?” 

“ _Let?_ Please, I am here on my own with just Jess or Lucas most nights, there’s no let about it. They just hired some new guy, a former park ranger I think, but I haven’t met him yet and honestly I don’t know if he’ll last.” 

“That’s fair,” he replied, swiping a bit of frosting off the cupcake half she offered him. “So do you get many outrageous calls like that?” Lup chewed the red velvet cake slowly. 

“What? Just total bullshit craziness? Oh yeah, all the time, especially during a full moon.” A smile tugged at his lips as he remained quiet waiting for her to continue. “I had a lady a few weeks ago, a Halfling I think, called telling me she had rodents in the room. It just about gave me a heart attack. Turns out the word she was looking for was in fact, insect. It was nothing more than a centipede and a cricket. I sent Lucas up to deal with it. You would have thought it was actually a mouse by the way he was freaking out about it afterwards.” Barry laughed heartily, shaking his head. 

“There’s no way.” 

“I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried. I had a couple arrive at three in the morning trying to check in for a reservation that was supposed to check in at 3PM that afternoon. _But we told them we’d be arriving early”_ she said in a nasally voice, mimicking the woman. “Yeah sorry sweetheart, early check in is like 1pm, maybe noon, not middle of the night the night before. That is not how this works.” He snorted through his laughter at her stories. As Barry settled down Lup let out a long yawn followed by a vigorous shake of her head. 

“What happened to ‘no yawning on graveyard shift?’” Lup stuck out her tongue at him in response to the question. 

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night or this afternoon. There's this older, kind of batty, woman that lives in our building and Taako and I take turns going to visit with her and just keep tabs on her. Her family is never around and she’s been sick lately. In all the time we’ve been living in that apartment I don’t think I’ve seen one person come visit her, even at the holidays. So I kind of got stuck with her yesterday and never got very much sleep. She’s cooky and will talk your ear off but Paloma’s got a kind heart under it all.” She yawned again, punctuating her point. Barry smiled at her warmly. 

“Well I’ll stay up with you. Stars know my insomnia won’t let me sleep anyway. Might as well spend my time in good company.” Lup just stuck a fork full of frosting into her mouth. 

Around 3AM when Lup had to run all of her paperwork Barry excused himself to go attempt a short cat nap. He felt like a distraction when he hung around when she was actually working. An hour and a half later he woke to rain pelting his bedroom window. He wandered back down, a cup of hot coffee in his hands, and found her nearly asleep at the desk. 

“Okay, surprise number 2” he bellowed, reaching across to shake her gently. Lup shot up with a start, nearly knocking the hot liquid from his grip.

“I’m awake I swear!” Her long ears twitched and drooped until she spotted him. At the sight of Barry her slender ears perked back up. “Oh! You’re back. Sorry Barry, it’s been a damn night.” He nodded understanding, the mug outstretched to her. 

“It’s my personal favorite. I figured it might help you get through the rest of your shift. It usually works for me when I have to pull an all nighter.” Lup stared at him with eyes like liquid gold. Steam wafted off the surface of the cup’s content. “I hope you like it.” Lup accepted the cup and breathed deeply taking in the aroma of coffee and chocolate. 

“You brought me a mocha?” He shrugged sheepishly. 

“It’s my favorite and I usually travel with the stuff to make it.” She took a sip hesitantly, her nose wrinkling to his dismay. “What’s wrong? Do you not like it?” She shook her head rapidly. 

“No, it’s good, just hot.”

“Well yeah, it’s coffee,” he replied chuckling. “Did you burn yourself?”

“Me? Burn myself?” Flames sparked to life across her empty palm. “Please! I eat fire for breakfast.”

With a completely straight face Barry said, “Just fire? That doesn’t sound like a very well rounded breakfast. I would hope you’d at least have an occasional fireball or maybe some fire flakes. I hear those are good with lava.” Silence hung in the air for a long moment as the elf just stared at her friend before they both erupted into laughter. The scientist wiped tears from his eyes as the laughter subsided. _I don’t know when I last laughed like that._

Lup yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes from fatigue. “I really hate this job sometimes,” she muttered followed by another yawn. Barry nodded understandingly and chewed on his lip. “Well not the job, just the hours,” she continued her words slurring slightly with exhaustion. 

“Lup, are you going to be okay going home in the morning?” His pocket watch glinted as he withdrew it from his denim jacket to check the time. It was nearly 6AM. “I know you said you walk home but I’m worried about you leaving as tired as you are. Can your brother come pick you up?” She blinked heavy lidded amber eyes at him once, twice, three times before finishing off the mocha. 

“No, no, Taako has something in the morning, some meeting or something. Don’t worry, Barold I’m fine, I promise.” 

“You sound like you’re drunk,” he replied stifling a chuckle. 

“I’m not grouchy, I’m just fucking tired.”

“I didn’t say you were grouchy. I said you sounded drunk. Now are you sure you’ll be ok to walk home?” Her ears drooped slightly and a heavy sigh escaped her. 

“I swear I’ll be fine. Just… stay with me, until Avi gets here?” An endearing smile spread across his round cheeks and the man nodded.  
“Alright, I’ll stay but you have to promise me you’ll get some sleep when you get home. Do you want me to make you another cup of coffee?” She nodded quickly, ears perking back up. “Ok, I’ll be right back.”

As he walked away Lup couldn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t know why but she couldn’t get the scientist off her mind even when she was away from the hotel. _Damn those jeans make his ass look incredible._ She shook her head, blushing at her own thoughts before turning her attention back to her work. Barry returned shortly with another steaming cup of coffee which she practically inhaled. “Ah glorious caffeine.” 

“You know you would stay up better if you drank more water instead of all the coffee.” A long flaming middle finger was her only reply. Barry chuckled and stretched, his shirt lifting to show a peek of soft belly. Lup’s cheeks began to match her red shirt.

The last hour of the night slipped by quickly as Lup finished printing reports, sending emails, and preparing the system for the new day. Lazy early morning sunbeams drifted through the colored glass dappling the floor in splatters of rainbow. In his tank Fisher hummed lazily as he began to stir. The dark haired man he’d seen at the desk during the day came through the double doors and slipped through an employee only marked door. “There’s Avi, thank you for staying. I’ll see you in a few days when I come back to work?” Lup asked a yawning Barry. He nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Yeah, now go home and sleep.” A call of greeting drifted out from the back room. 

“Morning Avi,” Lup called back. The blonde woman stood, staggered and nearly fell before gripping the desk. 

“Lup!” Barry cried, now himself wide awake, as she dropped back into her seat. “Do I need to call you a taxi or something?” Lup shook her head and stood again, swaying slightly. “Lup listen I know this is gonna sound weird, maybe even creepy, but my room is way bigger than I could ever need and you are in no condition to try and go anywhere. You are welcome to crash in my room for a few hours if you want until you’re ok to walk home. I totally get it if you say no but I’ve got the sleeper sofa that hasn’t been touched or the bed is yours to use. I’ll be at the desk working most of the morning anyway. I’m just worried about you.”

Lup blinked at him slowly again before tugging out her phone. Her nimble fingers typed quickly before shoving it in her pants pocket once again. With a long stretch and a yawn she nodded. “Okay Bluejeans, let's go take a nap.” A silly giggle escaped her as she disappeared through the open door into the back office. A few minutes later she reappeared through the staff door, her red blazer over one arm. The pair silently took the elevator upstairs, Lup’s head resting on Barry’s shoulder. 

Once in the room Barry led to the attached bedroom. “Oh I suppose you wouldn’t want to sleep in your work clothes. Hang on a second,” he muttered and started digging through his drawers. “I’m sure I have a set of pajamas or something you can wear. Wait, that’s really weird…” he trailed off, turning to find her already curled up on the bed sound asleep. The dark haired man smiled warmly as he slipped off her shoes and tucked her into the oversized bed. He drew the curtains and slipped out the door. “Sleep well, beautiful.” 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The blonde elf woke with a start, bolting upright, eyes darting around the room. Grey light filtered through the curtains, no rain fell but the dark clouds still hovered overhead. She obviously wasn’t at home and she was fairly certain she was in one of the suites at work but she had no memory of getting there. Taking another look around the lavish room, a familiar denim jacket lay across the chair under the window. “Barry,” she murmured to herself, remembering their conversation early that morning. A smile spread across her lip as she flopped back into the pile of pillows. The elf woman breathed deeply taking in his scent that lingered on the pillows. A giddy giggle filled the room and she hugged a pillow close. “Fuck I’m a ditz, I sound like a schoolgirl with a crush. Oh shit! Am I crushing on him?” She gasped and buried her face into his pillow. “Oh shit! I have a crush on him.” The sound of her name from the next room carried through the closed door. 

“Lup? You up?” Lup tugged the blankets over her head feigning sleep as the door cracked open. “Oh guess not, maybe she talks in her sleep.” Barry shrugged, closing the door gently. She lay there quietly just breathing in his smell for a few minutes before crawling out of the bed. Beside his jacket on the chair was a pile of what looked like her clothes, a folded note resting atop the pile.

“Lup, your brother dropped these off along with a very strongly worded threat. Help yourself to the bathroom and shower. Hope you had a good sleep. Barry,” she read aloud. Snatching up the clothes she wandered into the bathroom and quickly turned on the shower. Once clean she dressed and wandered out of the bedroom, toweling her hair dry. Taako knew her all too well and had delivered a pair of thigh length distressed jean shorts, an old, black, Jeff Angel t-shirt she’d cut horizontal slits in the sides of, and a red tank top. Barry nearly swallowed the pen he was chewing on when she rounded the corner to find him. A breakfast tray sat on the coffee table, long cold. 

“Morning Barold,” she said with a smirk. The black pen fell from his hand, the clatter of plastic on plastic as it hit the keyboard pulling him from some very dirty thoughts. 

“Uh hi, morning… afternoon actually. It’s almost 2.”

“No kidding? I never sleep that late.”

“You needed it, you were practically dead on your feet. How are you feeling?” Lup stretched and dropped onto the sofa, eyeing the tray. 

“Worlds better.” Slender fingers plucked a piece of cold bacon from the assortment of dishes. Her long ears wiggled happily as she munched on the salty goodness. 

“Sorry it’s cold. I wasn’t sure how long you’d sleep so I ordered around 10:30, 11:00 but you just kept sleeping. You can use the kitchenette to warm it up if you’d like, or we could order something fresh.” Lup pilfered another piece of bacon before responding. 

“Do you have to work much longer?” Barry raised a questioning eyebrow. “Are you going to be done soon? If you are, I know a great place for a late lunch.” The second eyebrow raised to match its twin. 

“I mean I started early and haven’t really stopped for a break so… maybe a half hour or so.” 

“Perfect, I’ll call in the order.” Barry just nodded, lost, as she disappeared back into the bedroom. 

45 minutes later the pair hurried up the hotel stairwell, picnic basket in tow. “Where are we going? And why aren’t we taking the elevator?” Barry panted as they paused on the landing for the 6th floor.

“Do you want to ride up six floors in a metal box with Upsy? You are more than welcome to do so but I will be taking the stairs.” Barry shuddered at the thought. 

“No, the stairs are good.” 

“That’s what I thought, now follow me,” she said pushing through a door marked Employee Only. Once through the door Lup led the way along an exterior walkway to a narrow metal ladder that led the rest of the way up to the roof. “When I worked day shift I liked to come up here on breaks just to get away from the bullshit going on downstairs,” she explained over her shoulder as she began to climb. Barry followed her, shocked to find a small hide away on the roof of the hotel. Two pool chairs, a small table, and a handful of potted plants sat under a shade sail. 

“How did you get all this up here?” Lup set the basket a chair and tugged a hair tie out of her pocket. 

“I didn’t, I just found this place. Leon told me that he heard the original owner had it set up.” She shrugged and started digging in the basket. “Either way it’s really cool and I love coming up here. Now do you want turkey or club?” When he looked up she was holding two sandwiches. 

“Turkey please.” He accepted the blanket from her and spread it out in the shadow of the sail. “Thank you for showing me this, Lup.” She smiled around a bit of sandwich. 

“After how kind you were this morning, it’s the least I can do. I know you’re leaving soon and I guess I wanted to spend time with you without a counter between us. Don't take this the wrong way but I really hate this job sometimes.” Barry nodded in understanding. “Don’t get me wrong, I love this place. It’s been like a home to me. Taako and I moved around a lot growing up and I guess we never really had a real home. Then he got the job working in Raven’s Roost and helped me get this job. We’ve been here ever since and I know this is gonna sound completely fucking mental but even though we’ve only been on staff here a few years it feels like I’ve known the crew here for a lifetime.” Barry chewed on his lip as he listened. She paused to take another bite of her sandwich. “I kinda feel that way about you too. Like we practically just met and I feel like I can tell you anything. I don't know how to explain it.” Her hand slid across the blanket stopping halfway between them. Barry’s hand closed the distance, hesitantly linking his pinkie with hers. 

"I know exactly what you mean."


	5. After Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry learns some history and the possibility of an unwanted future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoy this latest chapter.

Far below on the street leaves danced in the wind as Barry and Lup as on the roof watching the world. There had been a comfortable quiet behind them as they sat just enjoying each other’s nearness. The quiet was interrupted by the loud banging of a metal door against brick in the alleyway below. Words echoed up from the narrow space mingling with the metallic clanging of the dumpster. “Who does that entitled fuck think he’s messing with?” 

“Wonder who’s making all that noise,” Barry said, glancing in the direction of the noise. Lup closed her eyes for a long moment. 

“Sounds like Sazed. Wonder what he’s so pissed off about.” Barry’s gaze wandered back to her skyward face 

“The chef? Maybe it's about a customer.” Lup’s locks swished as she shook her head. 

“Nope, he’s usually too busy sucking up to anyone who could be described as an “entitled fuck.” No, I think this is definitely something to do with one of our own, most likely involving my brother.” Barry’s eyebrows rose over the top of his glasses. 

“What’s Taako got to do with it? Are they involved or something?” Once again her red tipped waves swished. 

“Not anymore, really they never were but Sazed got it in his head they were and can’t seem to let go of his delusion. Taako interviewed with the previous chef. He had applied for a kitchen job, hoping to better his skills and work his way up through the ranks. He was willing to start at the bottom and the Chef, Marcus, took to my brother right away. He agreed to let Taako start as a prepper and depending on how well he did could possibly move up to basically line cook within a few months. Before he had his first day we were called out of town, an old friend who had helped us out when we were kids had passed away and we knew we had to be there for the funeral. We were gone for nine days and when we returned Marcus was dead. The official story was that he had an allergic reaction to some new ingredient he’d been working with and died of shock alone in the kitchen late at night.” 

Barry looked at her wide eyed, hanging on every word. “And unofficially?” Lup let out a deep breath before laying back with her hands behind her head. 

“Unofficially? The way Maguns tells it, everyone was convinced he was poisoned. The man would eat damn near anything and had never once shown any sort of allergy. So Sazed became head chef and my brother’s job offer was changed. No longer would he be working under a mentor who could actually teach him how to be better… oh no he would now be taking orders and bussing tables. Taako was miserable and understandably so. Cooking is his life, his soul, and that was ripped out from under him.” 

“But where did Sazed get the idea that he and Taako were together then?” She huffed through her nose and crossed one leg over the other bent knee.   
“So one night after Taako had been here for all of two weeks Sazed invited him and a few of the others to go out for drinks after hours. My brother got a little drunk and ended up going home with the chef that night. One drunken night later, and believe me Taako completely regrets that one night, Sazed’s got it in his head that Taako is his, that they’re together, and that my brother just needs to come around to the idea. He’s been told so many times no, been told to stop and leave Taako alone but he refuses.”

“Has Taako spoken to HR or someone? There has to be something that can be done. I mean, it’s a workplace environment, he can’t possibly get away with that sort of behavior.” When his eyes wandered back to Lup her amber eyes were closed. 

“He’s afraid that if he reports it he’ll get in trouble for going out with Sazed for drinks in the first place or they won’t take him seriously or Sazed will find out and do something worse. Taako really needs this job, we both do, and he can’t risk getting blacklisted in the restaurant industry.” Barry laid on his side facing her. “You want to know the worst part? The rat bastard stole a notebook of recipes out of Taako’s stuff that night, we didn’t even realize it was missing until nearly a week later, and by that point a handful of his dishes had made it on the menu. Fuckwad’s been passing them off as his own ever since. Those dishes are my brother’s heart and soul and he just stole them like he had some right to them. Sometimes I just want to claw his fucking eyes out.” The brunette man reached over and touched her shoulder. 

“Lup, I’m sorry. I understand your frustration and I wish there was something I could do. It’s not fair and yeah I get it, the world’s not fair, but you and your brother do not deserve this kind of treatment. I promise, if there is anything I can do for you, I’m here.” The elf rolled on her side to face him and buried her face in his chest, hot angry tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Can’t we just make him disappear? Poof!” Barry couldn’t help the chuckle. 

“No, I’m sorry, we can’t. That would be at least kidnapping, if not murder, and is frowned upon in most societies.” 

“Just most? I’m sure we could find one where they’re okay with it.” This time they both laughed softly as he wrapped her in a tight reassuring embrace. 

That evening Barry and Lup went to meet Taako, Magnus, and Merle for dinner at one of their favorite local spots. Lup walked, arm linked with Barry’s, ahead of the boys enjoying the evening. “Now remember, Merle can be a bit odd… no scratch that, he’s just straight up weird. That being said he’s a kick ass old dude _but_ do not under _any_ circumstances ask about his work with the landscaping. The man is a genius when it comes to landscaping and plants but there have been some pretty weird incidences with him and some of the plants in the atrium. So just don’t bring it up.” Barry chuckled and nodded understandingly. 

“No plants, got it. Any other topics I should avoid?” Lup pondered the question a moment but before Barry received his answer she shrieked excitedly. 

“Oh it’s right where they said it would be. Perfect location!” 

“Are they not usually in this location?” Taako came up on his other side and placed an arm over Barry’s other shoulder. 

“Nope! It’s a magical pop up restaurant. They move locations every day but they send out clues on their social media where they’ll be located that day. Half the adventure is figuring out where they’re going to be but it’s so worth the hunt.”

“Can we stop talking and get some grub already?” Magnus called from behind. “I am starving.” The group approached the caravan, grabbing a spot in line, and Lup pulled up the menu on her phone. 

“We’ve got pad Thai flatbreads, coconut, grilled shrimp skewers. Oh magnus they’ve got the cilantro lime chicken sliders you like.”

“Score!”

“Any drinks?” Taako asked, peeking over his sister’s shoulder. 

“Nothing you haven’t tried before. Blackberry, hibiscus, something or other, you had that a few weeks ago I think.” The wide brim of Taako’s had slid down over his face briefly. “Sweetness, they’re doing the sticky rice ball dessert thing they had last month. Barry, you’ll love these things.” He just nodded listening to them all chatter over each other. They waited patiently for the couple ahead of them, a blonde girl in a knitted beanie and plaid and a dark skinned girl with a red mohawk and a patch littered denim vest, to order before reaching the window. They promptly ordered two of everything, much to Barry’s shock. 

“We always do it this way,” Merle explained as they wandered the courtyard searching for a spot to sit. “We get at least two of everything and just share it among the four of us. There’s always plenty of food and that way everyone gets to try everything. The menu changes so often it makes it fun.” Once again Barry just nodded along like he understood.

After food and a spot, a low half wall by the large fountain, were acquired the group settled into comfortable conversation. Magnus told them about a call he’d responded to in regards to a badly leaking sink. He’d arrived, knocked, announced himself, only to enter the unit and find the guests still in the bedroom. “I kid you not, he was handcuffed to the bed, gagged all of it. They did have the decency to cover him with a blanket and she had a robe on but still. They admitted there was no leak and if fact they had called because the key to his cuffs had been broken in the lock. I had to use bolt cutters to get him loose. Definitely the weirdest thing I’ve seen in awhile.” As the laughter died down his expression shifted. “I saw that real estate guy leaving Davenport’s office again this afternoon, the one with the tattoos or scars or whatever they are. He did not look happy.” Barry glanced around from face to face noting the shift in mood. 

“What real estate guy? What’s going on?” Merle shook his head before biting into a slider. Finally it was Taako who answered. 

“There’s this guy, goes by John, that’s been trying to buy out the hotel for the better part of the last year. He’s in league with Lup’s ex Greg and they want to buy the Creation’s Light and destroy it so they can build some mega casino/ hotel monstrosity. They’ve acquired nearly every property in a square block and we’re all that’s left to stand in their way. We don’t know what will happen if he gets his hands on the Light but we’re doing all we can to stop it.” Barry found his fingers had laced with Lup’s as he listened to the story. His dark eyes met hers as she spoke in her brother’s silence. 

“Like I told you, this place isn’t just a hotel. It’s more than just a job, this place is home and we will defend our home with everything we have.”


	6. A Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is revealed, a proposal is made, and an elf takes the first steps to fighting back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Y'all. I wanted to start by saying how sorry I am for falling off schedule. The past month or so have been super insane so my writing time has been very limited but do not fret. This story is never far from my mind. I want you all to know just how much each and every comment and kudos means to me. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this one

Rain pelted the windows, pooling in the flagstone courtyard, as John watched from his table. Black coffee, long since cold, filled a chipped white ceramic mug. Across the dreary grey courtyard, a stark white beacon, stood the object of his current obsession. The Creation’s Light hotel was the final piece of property for him to move on with his plan. Once that wretched hotel was in his possession, everything in a square block would be leveled to make way for a mega casino and hotel of his own design. A massive gaming floor, three world class restaurants, and a luxury hotel unlike anything the city had ever seen. The Oncoming Storm casino and luxury hotel would be the glittering jewel of the city when he was finished but that blasted antique of a hotel was the only hitch in his plan. 

“You’re late.” John didn’t look away from the window as a scowling blue eyed man slid into the booth across from him. 

“Good to see you too, John,” Greg snarked. “At least I’m not the last one here. Where is Chefy anyway?” 

“He’ll be along shortly. If you’re going to order something, do so now.” Greg’s scowl deepened but he flagged down a waitress regardless. By the time his coffee had arrived so had the third member of their little party. A charming smile spread across John’s face as the red haired half elf slid into the booth next to Greg. 

“Sazed, I’m glad you could join us. Would you like a coffee?” Sazed eyed the sharply dressed man across from him for a long moment. 

“No thank you, now what is all this about?” John leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he pondered his answer for a moment. 

“We, Greg and I, would like to offer you an opportunity to join us in a… let's call this a business venture.” Greg was unusually quiet as he sipped his coffee, for once letting John do all the talking. Both men were very charismatic but in uniquely different ways. Greg could charm the stink off a pig. John, on the other hand, could talk you into killing your own mother all the while thinking it was your own idea. Greg was a snake oil salesman, John was a cult leader.

“And let’s say I join this little venture of yours, what’s in it for me?” The man in the suit sat back, folding his hands on the table before him. 

“If all goes to plan, at the absolute least, your own gourmet restaurant.” Sazed’s dark eyes grew wide, his ears perking slightly, interest clearly piqued. 

“I’m listening…” 

“Just imagine it Sazed, your own place, and not some rinky dink 30 seat hole in the wall at a dump like that. No, a full gourmet kitchen, staffed with the best chefs from across the globe with you at the top running the whole show. Any style of food, any decor, anything you want, we can make it happen.” 

“But?” 

“What do you mean _But?_ ” Greg quipped, speaking for the first time since the new man had taken his seat. 

“ _But_ there’s always a catch with this kind of thing. You wouldn’t be coming for my help if you could do it on your own. So what’s the _but,_ what’s the catch?” John’s grin returned, his dark gaze wandered over to his business partner. 

“I told you he was smart.” Greg just rolled his eyes. “The ‘but’ as you put it, is that,” he said pointing out the window at the white building that practically gleamed in the dreary day. The Creation’s Light Hotel, and its grounds, is the last piece of property we need to acquire for our parcel so we can begin construction on our hotel casino.”

“I’m still not seeing how this affects me. I just work there, I don’t even know who actually owns the damn place.”

“Neither do we,” Greg spat, his scowl returning. John cut his eyes at the man. 

“I have spoken with that insufferable Davenport several times and have had no luck in acquiring that information either. No one seems to know who the current owner actually is and all the pipsqueak will tell us is something about the old family who built the place to begin with. Personally I think he’s hiding something but that’s what we need you for. You will be our man on the inside. You might be able to get more information out of them than we ever could. You get us the right tidbit of information and I gain ownership of the hotel, your own restaurant is guaranteed.” The half elf eyed him wearily before glancing at the grinning man to his left. “So what do you say, Sazed? Are you in?”

That night Sazed sat in his small office staring at a battered notebook full of recipes. He’d asked the pair for a few days to consider the offer which they gladly granted, sending him on his way with a business card which now sat atop the notebook. His own place, a gourmet kitchen, a staff all his own to run as he saw fit, no stupid, entitled bartender getting in the way of him and Taako, the thought of it made his heart race. A knock at the door startled him from his thoughts and he quickly covered the book and card with order invoices. 

“Come in.” Taako stuck his head in the door, braid swinging in front of him. 

“We’re all done out here, just need a section check and we can get out of here.” 

“Taako, you want to go for drinks or something once we’re done here? My treat,” he asked, attempting a smile like the one John had given him. The elf’s eyes grew wide and he backed out of the doorway a little more. 

“No thank you, I have way too much stuff to do at home tonight. Plus my head has been pounding all night.” The pointed express that flashed across Sazed’s face made it very clear he did not believe this one bit. A hand shot out, digging into the strands of Taako’s braid. 

“I’ll ask you again, Taako, will you join me for drinks tonight?” The elf cried out as Sazed pulled hard on his long hair. Taako grabbed Sazed’s arm at the wrist and quickly cast shocking gasp. The spell wasn’t particularly strong but it was enough of a jolt to get Sazed to let go. His free arm spasmed, sending papers flying across the desk, exposing the battered notebook. Spotting the object the wizard snatched after it, barely escaping with his prize, tearing out the kitchen. 

Kravitz’s head shot up, eyes wide, brows up, as Taako burst out of the kitchen. Through the wall behind him, the reaper could hear his boss shouting at the top of his lungs. “Taako go, I’ll hold him off.” The elf nodded, a thankful smile blooming on his lips as he dashed out the door. Sazed burst through the kitchen door a moment later. 

“Where did that little thief go?” he shouted. Kravitz casually leaned against the back bar, polishing a wine glass. “Where is he? Where is the little thief?” The current glass finish, Kravitz placed it on the rack and reached for the next one. 

“Thief? I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about. You’re the only person I’ve seen in the last twenty minutes. I’m just waiting on a section check so I can go home.” The final wine glass was deftly deposited onto the rack. “Can I go now?” The red in Sazed’s face was practically the color of his hair.

“Get the fuck out of my sight,” he snarled at his bartender. Without another word Kravitz gathered his things and left. In that moment Sazed knew three things. One, that blasted bartender had to go, two, he was ready to accept John’s proposal, and three, he had to get that notebook back. Without it, his career was as good as ruined.


	7. Haunted Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup gets a fright late one night which leads to a much needed conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've really looked forward to writing the first half of this chapter. It was a scene I've had in my head since the very beginning and I hope y'all enjoy it.

Lup hurried inside, shaking her dripping umbrella as she entered, her clothes soaked through. “Angus I am telling you, I am buying that motorcycle as soon as we get our Candlenights bonus,” she said, hurrying behind the desk to join him. 

“Uh Lup not to point out the obvious but candlenights isn’t for another few months. Besides what do you need a bike for? You live like three blocks from here.” The elf shook her hair out, spraying him with water droplets. 

“It’s more like six and it would certainly help on nights like this.” The aspiring detective eyed her for a moment. 

“Besides I thought you said that money was going toward a new tattoo.” Lup cut her eyes at him. 

“Ink can wait if I can find a good deal on a bike. Now whatcha got for me?” she asked, eyes flicking over his screen. 

“Not a one, everyone is in. Should be a relatively quiet night,” he replied, turning the monitor to face her. “Hope you brought a book… or coffee for that guest you’re so in love with.” Color matching her uniform flooded Lup’s cheeks and ears. 

“Angus Mcdonald, you are the dumbest smart person I know. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Now go home, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She waved him off toward the break room. Once Angus was out the door Lup settled in, getting to work on her usual duties. It was odd for Barry to have not at least called down when she arrived. She chalked it up to him being tired or busy. The first few hours of the night moved by quickly and the only faces she’d seen were Lucas’s during his patrol and a guest asking after extra blankets. It had been a few days since their day out together and she’d barely heard from Barry since and began wondering if she’d upset or offended him when he still hadn’t made an appearance. 

“Lup, you’re being stupid. He doesn’t belong to you, he doesn’t owe you anything,” she muttered to herself as she searched for a way to fill her time. She dimmed the music in the lobby to better hear her own selections but an odd tune lingered in the quiet. A chill ran up her spine as she listened trying to find a source. Placing the “Back in five minutes” sign on the counter, Lup hopped the counter and wandered down the hall toward the ballrooms. 

There had always been stories swapped between the staff of spirits that lingered in the halls of the hotel and Lup had had her fair share of experiences with them but nothing like this. The melody was light and drifting but eerie, almost summoning. As she wandered down the hall a dim glow spilled onto the tile from a mostly closed door. The sound grew louder, intensifying as she approached. Lup pulled the door open quickly, tongues of flame leaping to her fingertips. 

“Who’s there?” she demanded. The music stopped suddenly as her voice echoed through the mostly empty ballroom. Stacks of chairs and clusters of banquet tables lined the walls along the sides of the room, the intricately laid floor gleaming in the dim light. “I said who’s there? This room is off limit to guests when not in use, don’t make me call security.” Lup didn’t know what to expect, a teenager playing a prank perhaps, but Barry’s bashful features peeking out from behind the grand piano was definitely not it. 

“I couldn’t sleep and you looked busy. I didn’t want to bother you.” Her brows narrowed, mouth twisting into a scowl as Lup stormed across the empty ballroom toward him. 

“Damnit Barry! What were you thinking pulling some creepy, fucking Phantom of the Opera shit on me? The damn hotel is haunted, the last thing I want to hear is some stupid minor chord tune floating into the lobby from no obvious source. You gave me a fucking heart attack.” Barry was on his feet closing the distance between them when she threw a worn paperback at him before storming out of the room. He caught the volume and followed her to the lobby. 

“Lup, don’t be upset with me. I thought I closed the door. I didn’t think anyone would hear me. It is the middle of the night.” She didn’t acknowledge his excuses as she hopped back over the low gap in the counter. “Lup come on, talk to me, please.” Her hard eyes finally met his, concern flooding his expression. If this is because I scared you, I’m sorry. If this is because of something else I’ve done, please talk to me.” The phone rang and she answered it quickly, gaze shifting to the computer screen before her. Once done her expression shifted back to him. 

“I thought…” she sighed as she searched for the right words. “I told you all that stuff about my past, about who I am, about my brother, and I thought you just decided it wasn’t worth the effort to deal with someone like me, that _I_ wasn’t worth it.” Her gaze dropped to the desk.   
“Lup, what would possibly make you think that?” He reached across the desk and gently tipped her face up. A sad smile filled most of his face as he simply looked at her for a long moment. “Lup, if you hadn’t noticed, I’m sort of crazy about you. If I didn’t think you were worth it, then tell me why I convinced my boss I needed another month to continue my work?” She looked up at him confused. 

“Another... “ she paused, her attention dropping to the computer before her. “You... “ she looked up at him then back at her screen before turning back to him. “What else am I supposed to think Barry? I poured my heart out like an absolute fucking idiot. I let you in and then you just disappear for two days. I’ve had guys drop me for less.” Lup bit her lip softly, avoiding his gaze. A shy smile began to tug at her lips as she finally processed his words. “You’re crazy about me?” she murmured, finally glancing up. Barry nodded and wiped away a stray tear that had escaped. 

“I’ve been in Goldcliff for two days helping my boss with something. I left a note for you with the guy who works mornings,” he explained. “He said he’d put it in your locker.” Lup sighed, head dropping into her hands. A moment later her shoulders began to shake and Barry grew worried she’d begun to sob. Another moment passed before she looked up, shoulders still heaving as she laughed loudly. 

“That explains so much. Avi said something to me about going to Goldcliff over the weekend and if I’d had fun but I had no idea what he was talking about. I chalked it up to him being hungover. He must have thought you’d invited me to go with you to the city.” A warm smile filled Barry’s face as he watched her fill with laughter. 

The scientist fetched Lup’s favorite snacks from the vending machine in apology, promising he’d return shortly. She hurried through her nightly work quicker than normal and they sat together in a once again comfortable quiet watching Fisher bob in his tank. Morning arrived bringing with it the daily shower of color filtered through the windows. Barry looked over at a sleepy Lup, a soft smile on his lips. 

“Lup, will you go on a date with me?” he asked quietly. 

“What do you call the other day?” she replied, a yawn interrupting her words. 

“No I mean it, like a proper date, just you and me. Dinner, dancing, maybe a show?” Her amber eyes scanned his face for a long moment finding nothing but affection and sincerity in him. 

“Yeah? Okay, yeah I’ll go on a date with you, Barold,” she answered. Barry’s cheeks reddened as he got to his feet and took her hand in his. “My next day off is tuesday.” He nodded and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. In the back office they could hear her relief bustling about preparing for the next shift. 

“I look forward to it my dear,” he said, “good night for now.” A matching blush crept across Lup’s cheeks and into her slender ears. The scientist gave her one last smile before disappearing toward the staircase. A loud peal of laughter echoed through the lobby as she spotted an incoming message from him. 

“I promise no more creepy phantom music in the middle of the night, unless I have the costume to match. XD”


	8. First Date Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry takes Lup on their first proper date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoy this super sweet chapter. This one may or may not have made me cry just a little while writing it. (happy tears I promise)

Merle was elbow deep in the flower beds that filled the atrium when Magnus wandered through the open glass door. He rocked back on his heels, looking up at his friend, taking in Magnus’s slumped shoulders. “Something on your mind big guy?” The maintenance man sighed and leaned into the door frame. 

“She left.” Merle’s bushy eyebrow raised above the rim of his glasses. 

“Who?” Magnus glared at him for a long moment. 

“Who? Julia! They checked out yesterday,” he sighed glumly. “I never got to ask her to dinner.” Merle fully got to his feet and patted Magnus’s arm. 

“Didn’t Taako say they’re here a lot though? I’m sure she’ll be back before you know it.” Magnus fidgeted with his fingers, a bandage wrapped the knuckle on his left index finger. “If you don’t believe me go ask Ango, he can see if they’re coming back any time soon.” The maintenance man sighed and ran his hands through his hair. 

“No, that’s a little creepy. If it’s meant to be she’ll turn up again. I just really wanted to ask her out.” The dwarf brushed dirt from his shorts before gathering his tools from the ground. 

“Exactly, now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some plants that need tending in the courtyard.” The pair exited the glass enclosure in comfortable silence, parting ways as Merle headed for the courtyard and Magnus made his way back to the maintenance shop. On the way he passed Barry in the hall, a large stack of papers in his hands. 

“Magnus, just the person I was looking for,” Barry called in greeting. “Do you have a minute? If you’re busy it’s not too important.” The taller man smiled warmly at him. 

“No, I’ve got a second. What’s up?” The bespectacled man looked down at the papers. 

“I need some advice. I’d ask Taako but the girl at the bar said he didn’t get in until this afternoon.” Magnus crossed his arms loosely, an eyebrow raising as he waited for Barry to continue. “Well you see I asked Lup on a date, like a proper date, and I have no idea where to take her. I’ve been stewing on it since she said yes and we’re supposed to go today and I just…” he sighed, head slumping against the papers in his hand. 

“Well my recommendation would be to take her someplace you like, show her what makes you happiest, and then take her someplace you think would do the same for her. She’s a very complex woman and the oddest things bring her joy. I’m sure whatever you come up with, she’ll enjoy it.” A warm smile filled Barry’s face as he looked up at Magnus. 

“You really think so?” The other man nodded approvingly. 

“Just show her a little piece of you.” Barry looked at him for a long moment.  
“You know Magnus, you’re a really smart guy. Thanks for the advice.” Before he could say anything more Magnus’s phone began to buzz with a work order. 

“Duty calls.” The pair parted ways and Barry hurried up to his suite, braving the freakishness that was Upsy for the sake of not having to carry all the paperwork up multiple flights of stairs. The blank stare of the lift operator was entirely unnerving and he nearly opted to get off at the second floor and walk the rest of the way up. 

Later that afternoon Lup rushed around the apartment searching frantically for her second shoe. A black leather boot was already on one foot when Taako held up its twin as he exited the bathroom. “Lose something?” Lup snatched it from her brother’s hand and quickly tugged on the shoe. “What’s got you all in a tizzy?” 

“Barry’s going to be here any minute and I’m not ready. Fuck!” she swore, teetering back as she lost her balance, falling onto the sofa. Taako chuckled and offered her a hand. 

“I haven’t seen you this worked up over a guy since Gr-”

“If you value your existence you won’t finish that name,” she said quickly, cutting him off. “Now will you please help me find my red jacket?” 

“Do you know where anything you own is?” he quipped, helping right her. 

“Do you?” she snarked back before disappearing into her bedroom. A few minutes later the buzzer from the building door filled the small apartment. 

“Uh hi, Lup, it’s Barry. I’m here to pick you up,” came a hesitant voice through the fuzzy intercom. 

“I’m buzzing you in Barold. She’s not quite ready yet,” Taako answered as he hit the button to open the front door. Barry hurried inside and set upstairs to their apartment. Taako already had the door propped open when he found it. “She’s just finishing her hair, should be done in a minute.” Barry looked around the small, some might call cozy, apartment that looked like it was long overdue for a good tidying. It was clean, dishes in the strainer rather than sitting dirty in the sink, clothes in a neatly folded pile on the sofa, and cookbooks and recipes scattered all over the coffee table but still somehow it felt like an organized mess. 

“I’ll be right out Barry, just got to find my hat.” Pushing up his glasses Barry noticed the black knit cap in Taako’s hand. 

“She’d lose her head if it wasn’t attached,” Taako muttered as Lup entered the room.

“It’s fine I’ll just go without it, it isn’t that cold-” she paused mid sentence snatching the hat from her brother’s fingers. “Thanks for telling me Taako.” 

“Love you too Sis,” he replied, wrinkling his nose at her playfully. “Now go have fun you two and don’t stay out too late. If I find out you were anything less than a gentleman… well you’ll have to answer to my sister but I’ll be more than happy to dole out some punishment to whatever is left of you.” Barry paled. 

“He’s kidding Barry.” Lup tugged on the knit cap over her wild hair before shrugging on a red jacket that fell to her hips in the front and her knees in the back. Under the jacket she wore a black t-shirt with a flaming mongoose and a pair of distressed jeans. “Ready to go?” He nodded and offered his arm. 

Outside leaves swirled around the pair as they wandered down the street. Lup had her arm linked with Barry’s enjoying the cool afternoon. “So you gonna tell me where we’re going?” she asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Barry fidgeted with his watch and kept biting his bottom lip.

“It’s a surprise but I think you’ll like it. It’s one of my favorite places in all the city.” They fell into easy conversation, discussing their surroundings, the hotel, how creepy Upsy was. Finally they arrived at a larger intersection. “Okay do you want to eat first or do the other thing first?” The elf looked around the square trying to figure out where he could possibly be taking her based on their current location. 

“The other thing, Taako insisted on feeding me a new recipe earlier and I’m still pretty full.” Barry nodded, lacing his fingers with hers. 

“Well then milady, if you’d be so kind, adventure awaits this way.” Lup couldn’t help but giggle at this, her slender ears wiggled with joy. 

“Lead on, good sir.” They caught the light and hurried across before turning down a narrow alleyway that smelled faintly of paint and garbage. Half faded on the brick wall was some sort of graffiti, a winding path leading to an arched door. Below it someone had drawn several dicks in various colors. They laughed at the faded art before hurrying the rest of the way and entering into a large, mostly empty square. Across it stood a large white building with wide steps and a straight row of pillars running the length of the porch. It was beginning to rain as they hurried across the plaza, then the street, before dashing up the stairs. 

“I hope you like it.” Barry led the way inside and Lup gasped as a hulking figure filled the rotunda before them. Taking up the center of the room was the preserved form of a bull Mammoth. The sheer size of the beast seemed to still her, unable to look away Lup moved a few steps closer while Barry slipped away to acquire tickets. 

“I read up north they roam wild.” Barry’s voice jerked Lup out of her wonder. She jumped, flames licking at her fingertips. He chuckled and held up a paper wristband. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Closing her fingers into a tight ball Lup extinguished the flames and accepted the band, leaving a few scorched fingermarks on the paper. 

“So you brought me to the natural history museum on our first date?” Barry deftly sealed the band around her thin wrist. “Nerd Alert.” He chuckled softly, pink creeping into his cheeks. 

“Like I said, this is one of my favorite places in the city. I wanted to share it with you.” Lup’s ears quickly matched his cheeks and she followed him further into the museum. They wandered about in the hall of mammals for a while, occasionally making jokes about the various taxidermied animals. Lup was amazed by the sheer size of the elephants and giraffes and was overjoyed to see the various species of weasels, even stopping to take a selfie with the mongoose in the background. 

“Oh look, a big grizzly bear, let's get a picture of it for Magnus,” she said, pulling out her phone for a selfie. Barry’s cheeks were nearly the color of Lup’s jacket as she snapped the picture. 

As they continued into the next exhibit, a timeline showing the evolutionary shift into the various races Barry stopped to read something about the split between gnomes and dwarves. When he turned he found Lup was nowhere to be seen. “Lup?” he called wandering in the direction he thought he’d seen her go. A flash of blonde hair caught his attention dashing between a pair of displays about the species of elves. “Lup, come on,” he called following. As he rounded the corner the space was empty but her laughter echoed through the mostly vacant exhibit hall. 

“Catch me if you can, Barold,” she called before disappearing from sight again. His academic side told him not to but his interest in Lup was that much stronger. He chuckled and hurried after her laughter. They made it all the way into the hall of the ocean before he caught her, hiding behind a display about seals. 

“Gotcha,” he said sneaking up behind her, grabbing her shoulders. Lup swore loudly and swatted at his hands before bursting into a fit of laughter. 

“Your turn,” she said with a wink before covering her eyes. “I promise I won’t peak.” Barry laughed and hurried off into the oceanic exhibit. He moved from hiding spot to hiding spot, first a display about sharks, then a coelacanth tank, only for her to find him tucked in a corner beside a tank of jellyfish. Sneaking up behind him Lup covered his eyes with a laugh. “Guess who.” 

“Um… Taako?” She laughed again. 

“Not quite, guess again.”

“Magnus?” 

“Nope.” 

“Upsy?” 

“Ew! No! Here’s a clue,” she said before planting a small kiss on his cheek. 

“Oh! It’s the hottest girl in the whole hotel.” 

“Damn straight!” Lup uncovered his eyes, a smile filling her face. Barry stood, offering his arm. “So we’ve played hide and seek and seen all sorts of neat animals. What now?” 

“The next part is my favorite, this way,” he answered leading the way into the hall of crystals. The final exhibit was filled with curious stones, gleaming crystals, and magical ore of all kinds.   
“Your favorite part is a bunch of sparkly rocks?” Barry shook his head. 

“No, my favorite part is through the sparkly rocks. Ok close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise.” Lup eyed him suspiciously but smiled with a sign and closed her eyes. 

“Okay, they’re closed. You’re lucky you’re so cute,” she replied offering her hand. The denim clad man took her hand in his and began leading the way. He stopped her, instructing to stay put for a moment before stepping away. She could hear him speaking with someone, another woman by the sound of the voice. He returned a moment later, taking her hand in his and leading on once more. She sensed them passing through a doorway before the temperature changed and the air became thick and heavy. 

“Just a few more steps,” he said softly leading her further into the warm space. “Okay, open your eyes.” Lup blinked slowly as she adjusted to the bright light in the room. Overhead was an expansive glass ceiling and all around were lush plants full of colorful flowers but what drew her attention was the swarming mass of butterflies in every possible color. The elf gasped, amber eyes going wide as she looked in every possible direction. 

“Barry, it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like this.” His warm hand laced with hers as he led her further in. As they walked butterflies landed on them before fluttering away. The soft chirping of birds filled the air. 

“There are over 500 species of butterflies here. I’ve been all over the place to do research and this is by far one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen.” She looked, a soft smile spread across her lips as he continued. “And I know it sounds cheesy but coming here, meeting you, is definitely one of the best things that’s ever happened to me during all my travels. Lup, I’m falling for you and I would very much like to kiss you.” She brushed away a tear that had welled up at his sweet words. 

“Then do it you goof,” she said leaning in. Barry bit his lip, a nervous habit she found adorable, before closing the distance and pressing his mouth to hers. Just like the first time they met, color swirled around them as Barry wrapped an arm around her waist, his free hand finding its way into her hair while Lup’s arms snaked around his neck.


	9. Dinner and a show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First date part 2! 
> 
> Lup and Barry enjoy the rest of their evening but some unwanted company may cause trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! I know its been a hot minute since the last chapter but sadly 2020 plus the holidays resulted in very little writing momentum. I really hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

The sun was sinking low on the horizon as they exited the museum, fingers linked happily. Lup’s boots clicked quietly on the street as they walked, Barry seemingly leading them somewhere. Soon they arrived on River Street, the waterfront shopping and restaurant district. Overhead gulls swooped and dipped on the evening air, the slightly salty smell of the brackish river lingering on the breeze. Finally Barry stopped outside a small restaurant with several outdoor tables and wide open bay doors along one side of the dining room. He spoke with the hostess, a young dwarven girl with red curls, who handed him menus and directed him a flight of stairs. As they stared up Lup glanced back up at the girl. 

“That was sorta rude,” she said quietly as they climbed. 

“It’s okay, it’s self seating and totally worth it, just trust me.” Lup raised an eyebrow looking at him unsure. “You’ll see.” They reached the top and exited the stairwell onto a rooftop deck complete with a fabulous view of the river, a live band, and a bar.

“Oh Barry this is amazing, okay I take it back,” she gasped seeing it. The sun was just sinking below the horizon as they settled into their table. It didn’t take long for food to be ordered and drinks to be delivered. Barry couldn’t help but chuckle as she sipped on something fluorescent blue and highly alcoholic. Above them stars began to wink into existence one after another, out on the river the boat lanterns did the same. “I had a lot of fun today at the museum.” 

“I did too, even if I was sure we were going to get kicked out for playing hide and seek.” Lup laughed and for a split second Barry could see her tongue was already blue. The memory of what that tongue was capable of flashed across his mind, turning his cheeks red. The elf popped a fried pickle into her mouth, sighing contently. 

“Do you really think they’ll let you stay for another whole month?” she asked after a few minutes of quiet. “And what will you do after that?” Barry pulled his gaze away from the river and focused on where she sat, head in her hand, leaning on the table. It was a topic he’d hoped wouldn’t come up but one he knew they needed to discuss. 

“Well I’m booked for another three weeks, 24 days, something like that. After that I’m not sure where they’ll send me. I travel so much for my research I never quite know where I’ll end up next.” They both remained quiet for a long heavy moment before he spoke again. “But if I can be honest, I really like it here. I mean the hotel is amazing and I would put that mattress in my suitcase if I could but the city too, it's so interesting and there’s always so much to see and do, not to mention the prettiest elf I know lives here.” Lup smiled across at him before glancing bashfully at the table. “Of course you can’t tell Taako I said that, can’t have him getting a big head and all.” Her gaze shot back up at him before he started laughing. “I’m kidding, it was a joke.” 

“You are such a dork,” she replied, throwing a fried pickle at him before bursting into laughter as well. The tension lifted and they fell into easy conversation until the food came, Barry having fish and chips and Lup a bacon burger and fries. On the river, light danced in time to the music that floated away into the night. 

“Dance with me?”

“What?” Barry was on his feet, hand extended to her. 

“You, me, music, dance floor, come on it’ll be fun,” he said smiling. The evening sun glinted off his glasses and bathed his face in golden light.

“Okay, yeah.” Lup took his hand and followed onto the dance floor. The music slowed and they exchanged shy awkward smiles. “I don’t do this very often.Taako says I have two left feet.” Barry placed a hand on her waist before taking her hand in his free one. He looked up to meet her eyes, his own flooded with affection. 

“I highly doubt that is true but either way I’ve got you,” he reassured. The dance was slow and drifting as they spun around the dance floor. The song bled into another and before either of them noticed the sun had disappeared giving way to a sea of stars above. 

Halfway through the meal Lup excused herself to the ladies room, leaving Barry to the stars, the river, and the fries. He looked up with a start as a vaguely familiar face sat across the table from him. “Having fun Barold?” Barry removed his glasses and cleaned them slowly on his shirt. 

“It’s Greg, isn’t it?” 

“That’s right.”

“What do you want? If you hadn’t noticed, I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

“She isn’t being honest with you Barry.” 

“Right… and the guy I’ve seen threatening my girlfriend, in public, is the one I’m supposed to trust. Look Greg, whatever revelation you think you can lay on me about Lup, I don’t want to hear it. If there is something she hasn’t told me yet, I’m sure she has a good reason for it. I trust her and know she will be open with me in her own time. Now if you’d be so kind as to leave before I have to make you.” Barry got to his feet, the stool scraping loudly against the floor. 

“When you’re ready for the truth just look me up,” Greg said, sliding a business card across the table toward the other man. “If you don’t you’ll regret it, Bluejeans. She’s nothing like you think-” Barry’s grabbed the other man’s shirt and pushed him toward the stairwell. 

“I said Go!” 

Greg stumbled back, colliding with an empty table, before wandering toward the stairs. Barry huffed and sank back onto his stool, stuffing the card into his pocket. Lup returned to find him transfixed on his fries. Her black fingernails scratched his back briefly as she circled the table. “Everything alright?” His eyes met hers and a smile overtook his expression. 

“It is now.” Lup’s cheeks turned pink. “What do you say we get out of here?” The elf raised an eyebrow at him curiously. 

“Barry, did something happen while I was gone?” 

“No, I just thought it was starting to get late and we should get you home. We can take the scenic route back.” She laughed and shook her head.

“Okay, let’s get out of here then.

They settled the bill and wandered back down to River street. They made a few stops, first for ice cream, then for a dance to a street musician, and lastly at a chocolate shop Lup practically begged to check out. Nearly two hours passed before they found themselves on the stoop to Lup’s building. The light in her window was on, music drifting down through the open window. 

“You want to come up, have a last drink? It’s not that late.” Barry smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the hand he was holding. 

“I think I’d better be getting back to the hotel. I still have some work to do before I turn in for the night. Oh! I have something for you, you left it in my room the other day.” Barry dug into his pocket searching for a pair of earrings she’d left behind. In his search the small grey card slipped from his pocket falling to the brick. Lup hesitated before retrieving the card. Flipping it over she scowled at the back to back G design on the card. 

“He was here? What did he want? What did he say?” Barry took her empty hand in his, the search for the earrings abandoned. 

“Back at the restaurant, tried to feed me some bullshit about you not being honest with me, saying you weren’t what you seemed. I told him to get lost and that if my girlfriend had something she hadn’t shared with me yet that she must have a good reason for it.” Pink flooded her cheeks as Lup’s ears perked up. 

“Your… girlfriend?” she echoed. This time it was Barry’s turn to blush. 

“Well yeah, if that’s okay. If you want a different title… or well maybe title isn’t the right word. Um, label maybe? Yeah that’s it, if you want a different label we can think of somethi-” Barry’s rambling was cut off as two long arms snaked around his neck and a smiling mouth found his.


End file.
